Erwan Pathier

Seismic vulnerability assessment of urban environments in moderate-to-low seismic hazard regions using association rule learning and support vector machine methods

Abstract The estimation of the seismic vulnerability of buildings at an urban scale, a crucial element in any risk assessment, is an expensive, time-consuming, and complicated task, especially in moderate-to-low seismic hazard regions, where the mobilization of resources for the seismic evaluation is reduced, even if the hazard is not negligible. In this paper, we propose a way to perform a quick estimation using convenient, reliable building data that are readily available regionally instead of the information usually required by traditional methods. Using a dataset of existing buildings in Grenoble (France) with an EMS98 vulnerability classification and by means of two different data mining techniques—association rule learning and support vector machine—we developed seismic vulnerability proxies. These were applied to the whole France using basic information from national databases (census information) and data derived from the processing of satellite images and aerial photographs to produce a nationwide vulnerability map. This macroscale method to assess vulnerability is easily applicable in case of a paucity of information regarding the structural characteristics and constructional details of the building stock. The approach was validated with data acquired for the city of Nice, by comparison with the RiskUE method. Finally, damage estimations were compared with historic earthquakes that caused moderate-to-strong damage in France. We show that due to the evolution of vulnerability in cities, the number of seriously damaged buildings can be expected to double or triple if these historic earthquakes were to occur today.

Active interseismic shallow deformation of the Pingting terraces (Longitudinal Valley – Eastern Taiwan) from UAV high-resolution topographic data combined with InSAR time series

ABSTRACT We focus herein on the location, characterization and the quantification of the most active structural feature of Taiwan: the Longitudinal Valley Fault that corresponds to the suture in between the Philippine and Eurasian Plates. In order to determine and monitor its present inter-seismic deformation, we focus on the Pingting Terraces area, situated in the South Longitudinal Valley (Eastern Taiwan). We first determine the structural geometry issued from both photo-interpretation deduced from new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) high-resolution Digital Terrain Model data that we acquired (34.78 km2 with 7.73 cm ground sampling distance), combined with geological field work. In order to characterize and quantify the present deformational patterns over the Pingting terraces, we used an InSAR time series Interferometry algorithm (MT-InSAR) applied to nine L-band SAR images from ALOS satellite acquired over the period 2007–2010. The unprecedented density of measurements (about 120 points per km2 for a total of 6,400 points) gives a continuous overview of the inter-seismic shallow deformation. The structural geometry combined with the mean velocity map (MT-InSAR) reveals two clear active faults situated above the scarps of the Pingting terraces and responsible for up to 7 and 20 mm/yr velocity offset along the radar line of sight. A temporal analysis of the deformation is performed with one measurement at each SAR acquisition date, giving major improvements in the characterization and quantification of the Longitudinal Valley active Fault trace.

Interseismic deformation of the Shahroud fault system (NE Iran) from space‐borne radar interferometry measurements

The Shahroud fault system is a major active structure in the Alborz range of NE Iran whose slip rate is not well constrained despite its potential high seismic hazard. In order to constrain the slip rate of the eastern Shahroud fault zone, we use space-borne synthetic aperture radar interferometry with both ascending and descending Envisat data to determine the rate of interseismic strain accumulation across the system. We invert the slip rate from surface velocity measurements using a half-space elastic dislocation model. The modeling results are consistent with a left-lateral slip rate of 4.75 ± 0.8 mm/yr on the Abr and Jajarm, strands of the Shahroud fault, with a 10 ± 4 km locking depth. This is in good agreement with the 4–6 mm/yr of left-lateral displacement rate accumulated across the total Shahroud fault system obtained from GPS measurements.